How To Troubleshoot Server ActiveSync

This article discusses some basic troubleshooting steps that you can take to determine the cause of synchronization failure between your PocketPC device and a Microsoft Exchange server.

About Server ActiveSync

Microsoft Mobile Information Server 2002 includes a component named Microsoft Server ActiveSync. Server ActiveSync supports data synchronization between your PocketPC device and an Exchange server. In the past, it was possible to synchronize information with a desktop computer by using ActiveSync. With Server ActiveSync, you can synchronize personal information such as messages, contacts and calendar information with the Exchange server.

You can synchronize information for a message class (e-mail, contacts or calendar) with either the desktop computer or the server but not both. For example, if you synchronize your Inbox with an Exchange server, you cannot also synchronize it with your desktop computer by running ActiveSync.

Synchronization with a server is not supported on all devices. It is only supported on devices that are running Pocket PC 2002 with the Server ActiveSync client update installed.

Server ActiveSync uses industry standard technologies, including HTTP and XML, to enable synchronization.

Users who use Server ActiveSync to synchronize their information authenticate the PocketPC device by using their standard enterprise credentials. Synchronization traffic between the device and the Mobile Information Server computer is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

Synchronization Errors

When you synchronize your PocketPC device with an Exchange server, you may receive error messages on your device. These error messages provide basic information about the problem that you are encountering.

Several error messages may appear either on the PocketPC device or in the NexTags log file. These error messages fall in one of the following categories:

• CONNMGR_errorcode: Connection Manager Error
• DEV_errorcode: This error code indicates that the error is from the Server ActiveSync client update on the device (from the synchronization ROM on the device).
• HTTP_errorcode: Standard HTTP error (Internet related)
• INTERNET_errorcode: Standard WinInet error (Internet related).
• MIS_errorcode: This error code indicates that the error is from the Mobile Information Server with the Server ActiveSync component installed.

For additional information about HTTP_errorcode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about MIS_errorcode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hexadecimal Error Codes

Hexadecimal error codes similar to the following codes may also appear:

• 0x80042256: Synchronization failed because the user aborted connection. This error may occur if a user clicked Stop when the sync was in progress. To resolve this issue, in ActiveSync, click Sync to initiate the server sync.
• 0x80004005: Synchronization cannot be completed successfully because of a mobile device software error. Contact your network administrator.
• 0x8000ffff: Synchronization failed. If the problem continues, contact your network administrator.

Verbose Logging

You can also turn up logging on the device to gather more information for troubleshooting purposes.

To enable logging on the device:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click ActiveSync.
2. Click Tools, click Options, click Server, and then click Advanced.
3. Minimize the keyboard.
4. Change the logging level to Verbose.
5. Close the Options dialog box.

The log is saved in text format in the Windows\ActiveSync folder.

The log file is cleared at the beginning of each synchronization session. To retain the log file, copy or rename the log file before you start another synchronization session. To copy the log file:

1. Synchronize your PocketPC device with the server. If the synchronization fails, synchronize until the point of failure.
2. Disconnect your PocketPC device to prevent the log file from being overwritten if an automatic synchronization is scheduled.
3. In Windows Explorer, expand My Device, expand Windows, and then locate the log file that is in the ActiveSync folder.
4. Rename the log file.

How to Use NexTags for Server Tracing

You can use NexTags to set the type and level of server tracing (logging) that is performed by the Server ActiveSync component of Microsoft Mobile Information Server 2002. NexTags is located in the Support folder on the Mobile Information Server 2002 CD-ROM.
To use NexTags:

1. Run Nextags.exe on the server that is running Server ActiveSync.
2. Click Options, and then in the Trace File box, type a location for the output file.
3. Set Trim Percentage to 30%.
4. Set Limit file size to to 10MB.
5. To capture logs for all users leave User Names blank , or to capture logs for individual users, type the user aliases separated by a semicolon (;).
6. Click to clear the Real Time check box.
7. Click Tags, and then enable all items in the tree except DevOnly and DevMode. For additional information about DevOnly and DevMode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   318450  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318450/EN-US/ ) XCCC: Error Message: Synchronization Failed Due to an Error on the Server - HTTP_500
8. Click Enable Tracing.
9. Click OK.

After you complete this configuration, the Exchange server records all the logging information to the file that you specified on the Options tab. This log can be useful to troubleshoot synchronization failures.

When you have finished troubleshooting the error, make sure you turn off tracing to stop NexTags from recording log files.

How to Troubleshoot Connectivity by Using Wfetch

Wfetch.exe helps you troubleshoot connectivity issues between Microsoft Mobile Information Server and the Exchange server. Wfetch sends data directly to the Exchange server by impersonating the Server ActiveSync Process. Basically, you can send a propfind command or any HTML command and see the HTTP data that is sent and received.
For additional information about how to use Wfetch.exe, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: